Ernie Stevens, Jr.

Chairman and national spokesperson for the National Indian Gaming Association in Washington, D.C.  Stevens is currently completing his seventh two-year term as the organization’s leader, which is a position elected by all the member tribes. Ernie first met Ward Leber (CSN Founder) through a mutual friend and actor Adam Beach. The two started to collaborate on ways to protect Native American children/all children and worked together with nationally known sports icons like Michael Jordon, Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabar, Kobe Bryant and many others to promote CSN’s programs. Stevens represents the (approx.) $30 billion dollar annual Indian gaming industry.  Ernie recently formed a Safety and Security Committee Council and invited CSN to present at the launch of this vital group. From 1993 to 1999 Stevens served as an elected councilman for the Oneida Nation in Wisconsin.  He is a former First Vice-President of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI). As a respected leader in Indian Country, Stevens also serves as a long-standing board member on the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, the Nike N7 Foundation Board, the Executive Board of the Center for Native American Youth and the Native American Advisory Board for the Boys & Girls Club of America.

The Chairman has been recognized for his outstanding leadership and his advocacy in Indian Country by numerous organizations. The Association on American Indian Affairs recognized his lifetime achievements in November and he was inducted into the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Alumni Hall of Fame in 2012. He and his wife Cheryl have been married for over 30 years. Together they have 5 children and 13 grandchildren.